Please help, I've been stuck on this for a long while.

"Well," I say. "Dee."

"No, Mama," she says. "Not 'Dee,' Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo!"

"What happened to 'Dee'?" I wanted to know.

"She's dead," Wangero said. "I couldn't bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me."

"You know as well as me you was named after your aunt Dicie," I said.

What do these lines reveal about Dee and Mama? What ambiguity and irony do you see in these lines? Give examples from the text to support your views.

Dee who believes that her name ties her to the

white oppressors of the African American community changed her name to "Wangero." She claims that "Dee" was dead and should not have any connection with white oppressors of the African American community:

"I couldn't bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me."

Meanwhile, Dee's mother, sees the same name as part of her culture and heritage. For generations, several women in her family had held to the name with pride. She explains to her daughter:

"You know as well as me you was named after your aunt Dicie."

In staying connected to the family's ancestors, the mother truly believes that naming her elder daughter after her sister will definitely help her to keep the family's legacy alive.

The irony then is that Dee has made up her mind to separate herself from her family because she feels that they are simple and unsophisticated in lifestyle.

She takes step to change her name and dressing in an African style in order to claim an African heritage even though she didn't understand the culture.

Explanation:

"Everyday Use" was written by Alice Walker. It shows the relationship

between an African-American mother and her two daughters, Dee and Maggie.

The mother and and her second daughter, Maggie embrace their simple life, but Dee has refused to accept her heritage. She decided to turn into a different set of beliefs that she truly believes defines her cultural identity and lifestyle.